"It's medical rape": A conversation with 18-year NYPD veteran John Macari, who retired early after his requests for religious and medical exemptions to NYC's vaccine mandate were denied.
JOHN D. MACARI [via Zoom]: Hello everybody. This is John D. Macari. I was forced into retirement. I'm an 18 year lieutenant. I have zero disciplinary history. I've been involved in thousands of arrests, I have hundreds to my own name, I've been involved in thousands of emergency incidents without incident.
I was denied a religious exemption for my sincerely held religious beliefs, as well as a medical exemption for the covid 19 infection that I received in the line of duty while serving New York City during the early days of the pandemic. I have natural forming antibodies that were proved and that was denied.
New York City has failed to tell the unvaccinated, who are now the most marginalized community in New York City history, what undue hardship we are causing New York City that others are not?
This marginalized community, along with our children have been segregated, forced to be masked and tested when others were not. Not allowed to eat in restaurants, partake in society, play in sports, attend after-school events, and eventually, we were forced from employment without even the ability to collect unemployment. We are being told our lives do not matter.
City workers and residents accused of crimes are afforded due process and a trial before facing such consequences. Many continue working even after they are found guilty.
All of this has caused irreparable harm to our mental, physical, and financial health, as well as a strain on all of our relationships. Murderers, rapists and pedophiles are treated better than the unvaccinated.
All I am asking is for New York City to be true to what it said on paper. Be true that you respect religious liberty and equal protection under the law. Be true that you respect medical freedom and truly believe the words my body, my choice. Be true to that that you were respect others' philosophical opinions and want to give everyone a voice at the table.
Be true to the United States Constitution and New York State Constitution, the Human Rights Act of New York State, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, federal, state and city OEO [Office of Equal Opportunity] laws, as well as the OEO policy of every New York City agency. All who enforce this mandate, all of which clearly define these mandates, are illegal.
All I am saying to our elected officials and to Mayor Adams is be true to what you say on Twitter. New York City is no longer an equal opportunity employer. That title is earned by following the law, not given by winning an election. [Time's up alarm sounds] End the mandates.
MALE VOICE: Time has expired.
JOHN D. MACARI: Until our colleagues and all our [?] the fact that that you had no answers to these questions, it's either incompetent or it's intentional and either way it's unacceptable. You should be the one [?] talk, not us.
GALE A. BREWER: Thank you very much. [Applause] Quiet please. Quiet! Thank you.
Thank you for what you are doing to fight this injustice.
Relatedly:
TESTIMONY OF EX-NYC POLICE LIEUTENANT JOHN D. MACARI
New York City Committees on Oversight and Investigations & Civil Service and Labor
Approximately 5 hours of testimony in total
Gail A. Brewer, Chair
September 9, 2022
https://councilnyc.viebit.com/player.php?hash=U2mDNKAEkDJA
Source:
https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/Calendar.aspx
TRANSCRIPT
3:21:30
JOHN D. MACARI [via Zoom]: Hello everybody. This is John D. Macari. I was forced into retirement. I'm an 18 year lieutenant. I have zero disciplinary history. I've been involved in thousands of arrests, I have hundreds to my own name, I've been involved in thousands of emergency incidents without incident.
I was denied a religious exemption for my sincerely held religious beliefs, as well as a medical exemption for the covid 19 infection that I received in the line of duty while serving New York City during the early days of the pandemic. I have natural forming antibodies that were proved and that was denied.
New York City has failed to tell the unvaccinated, who are now the most marginalized community in New York City history, what undue hardship we are causing New York City that others are not?
This marginalized community, along with our children have been segregated, forced to be masked and tested when others were not. Not allowed to eat in restaurants, partake in society, play in sports, attend after-school events, and eventually, we were forced from employment without even the ability to collect unemployment. We are being told our lives do not matter.
City workers and residents accused of crimes are afforded due process and a trial before facing such consequences. Many continue working even after they are found guilty.
All of this has caused irreparable harm to our mental, physical, and financial health, as well as a strain on all of our relationships. Murderers, rapists and pedophiles are treated better than the unvaccinated.
All I am asking is for New York City to be true to what it said on paper. Be true that you respect religious liberty and equal protection under the law. Be true that you respect medical freedom and truly believe the words my body, my choice. Be true to that that you were respect others' philosophical opinions and want to give everyone a voice at the table.
Be true to the United States Constitution and New York State Constitution, the Human Rights Act of New York State, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, federal, state and city OEO [Office of Equal Opportunity] laws, as well as the OEO policy of every New York City agency. All who enforce this mandate, all of which clearly define these mandates, are illegal.
All I am saying to our elected officials and to Mayor Adams is be true to what you say on Twitter. New York City is no longer an equal opportunity employer. That title is earned by following the law, not given by winning an election. [Time's up alarm sounds] End the mandates.
MALE VOICE: Time has expired.
JOHN D. MACARI: Until our colleagues and all our [?] the fact that that you had no answers to these questions, it's either incompetent or it's intentional and either way it's unacceptable. You should be the one [?] talk, not us.
GALE A. BREWER: Thank you very much. [Applause] Quiet please. Quiet! Thank you.
3:23:50